Sectional block masonry



Feb. 15, 1955 BRlGGs 2,701,959

SECTIONAL BLOCK MASONRY Filed July 51, 1946 (gig $033.5. 34

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Harold L. 513L996 BY at HTTORNE).

United States Patent SECTIONAL BLOCK MASONRY Harold L. Briggs, Lincoln,Nebr. Application July 31, 1946, Serial No. 687,360

3 Claims. (CI. 72-42) This invention relates to masonry buildingstructures and, more particularly to reinforced building blocks, wall,house and other structures formed thereby.

The primary object of the invention is to provide building blocks havingelements, some of which facilitate the installation of co-operatingvertical tie-rods, others of which provide inter-fitting between theelements themselves, and still others which accommodate insulatingmaterial, all of which co-operate with one another in the constructionof a unitary building structure and in the drainage of leakage fromwithout and condensation from within.

A more particular object is to provide, as a basic building unit, anelongated block of molded or cast concrete or similar material, theblock being adapted for disposition with its length extendinghorizontally and having a series of relatively small vertical passagesextending from edge to edge therethrough. Such a block is to be providedfurther with a half-round vertical concavity at each end for registeringwith a similar concavity on a laterally adjacent block so as to definebetween the laterally adjacent blocks a vertical passage somewhat largerthan those spaced along the block length for receiving metallicreinforcement surrounded by a sheath of mortar. The smaller verticalpassages, which register with one another as the blocks are stacked, areadapted to receive tie rods which tie the roof or other elevated membersto the foundation, or which tie the roof or foundation to lintels. Thevertical passages not occupied by tie rods may be packed with insulationor used for accommodating service conduits.

It is also intended that the blocks be provided with elongatedlongitudinal bores, somewhat larger than, but intersecting the smallvertical passages, the longitudinal bores being adapted to accommodateside-to-side tie rods, service conduits, and cores of insulation.

The longitudinal joints of the block now proposed are somewhat akin tothe tongue and groove system in that the blocks have, on the lower andupper longitudinal edges, respectively, substantially, arcuate tonguesand grooves. It is intended, however, that the tops and bottoms of theblocks have longitudinal, flat faces at each side of the tongues andgrooves; that narrow spacer strips or gauges of relatively hardcomposition be inserted between the opposed flat faces of each pair ofblocks, on each side of the tongues and grooves; that the portions ofthe joints between the flat faces which are not occupied by the spacersbe mortared; and that the tongues and grooves be not quite true arcs ofcircles. Particularizing this latter feature, it is proposed that thecurve of the tongues be as a slightly flattened arc and that the curveof the grooves be as a slightly deepened arc, thus forming between thema gutter or drain for condensation or for seepage by capillary action.These drains, it may be noted, are interconnected directly with thevertical passages and indirectly with the longitudinal bores fordrainage to the foundation.

The ultimate objective is to provide for the production of masonrybuildings of standardized elements having the advantages afforded byhaving insulation within the walls, of being substantially leak-proof,by trapping of and elimination of condensation and minute leakage, byhaving the entire structure tied together in tension by the rods, and bythe special adaptation of elements peculiar to any given structure foruse as integers in the over-all system.

These and other objects will be apparent in the following specificationand drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the basic unit;

Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of a wall embodying basic units ofthe type shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a wall embodying basic units of thetype shown in Fig. l; and,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a wall constructed as shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denotesimilar elements, the basic unit of the invention comprises an elongateblock 2 molded or cast of concrete or similar material. The size is notcritical, and block 2 may range from one to six feet in length and fromsix inches to twelve inches in width, depending on the pattern andfunction in the wall with which it is to be associated. Block 2 has flatsides 4 and is basically of tongue and groove configuration, having agroove 6 running along its top and a tongue 8 along the bottom. As willbeapparent in Fig. 2 the tongue and groove are not true arcs of circles,the tongue being as a slightly flattened arc and the groove being as aslightly deepened arc, both being of substantially similar maximumwidths.

Extending through each block from the bottom of groove 6 to the bottomof tongue 8 are a series of vertical passages 10, and the ends of blocks2 are semicircular cavities 12 which, when the blocks are laid end toend as shown in Fig. 3, form relatively large vertical passages 14between the adjacent blocks. Each block 2 is further provided with alongitudinal bore 16 extending from end to end and the materialsurrounding the bore is reinforced by a metallic reinforcing screen 18as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Block 2 is designed to form a wall, portions of which are illustrated inFigs. 2 to 4 inclusive, by arranging the blocks, one on top of another,so that their vertical passages 10 are aligned so as to form continuousvertical passages in the resultant wall. As shown in Fig. 2, gauges 24are placed on the top edges 22 of the blocks and the bottom edges 20 ofthe next higher block are rested on gauges 24, these gauges beingdisposed on opposite sides of the tongues and grooves. Mortar 26 is alsoplaced in the joints in conventional manner. It will be apparent in Fig.2 that, because of the flattened arc configuration of tongue 8 and thedeepened arc configuration of groove 6, there will result between eachtongue and groove pair a gutter as indicated at 7 in Fig. 2 throughwhich moisture resulting from condensation may drain. Since verticalpassages 10 and 14 intersect gutter 7, the moisture collecting in thegutters drain downwardly through the vertical passages to the base ofthe Wall.

In order to tie the wall structure together, as for instance, to provideties between a roof and a base (not shown) tie rods 28 sheathed withconcrete 30 may be placed in the relatively large vertical passages 14between the adjacent blocks, as shown in Fig. 3. In addition, tie rods32 may be disposed in some of the vertical passages 10 running throughblocks 2, and insulation material indicated at 34 may be packed in thepassages through the blocks. In order to provide a base element for awall, a part block 36 having a flat bottom 38 may be used as indicatedin Figs. 2 and 4.

I claim:

1. A structural wall comprising a plurality of elongate blocks ofcementitious material disposed longitudinally along horizontal courses,said blocks being generally rectangular in cross-section and havingarcuate central tongues and grooves extending longitudinally along theirbottoms and tops, respectively, the tongues on the bottoms of the blocksin each course intermediate the top and bottom courses extending intoand interfitting with the grooves in the tops of the blocks occupyingthe course immediately below, the bottoms and tops of said blocks oneach side of said tongues and grooves, respectively being flat andconstituting horizontal ledges slightly less in width than the greatestwidth of said tongues and grooves, spacing means disposed on each sideof the tongues and grooves and between the horizontal ledges on the topsand bottoms, respectively, of the blocks in vertically adjacent courses,the bases of 'the tongues engaging the free edges of the grooves, thebottoms of the tongues of the blocks in each course being spacecl'abovethe bottoms of the grooves in the blocks of the course immediately belowand the space thereb'et'we'en being clear of obstruction whereby said'grooves constitute horizontal gutters, "each o'f s'aid blocks having 'aplurality of horizontally spaced vertical passages extendingtherethrough from the bot toms 'of said grooves through the bottoms ofsaid tongues, the vertical passages of the blocks in each intermediatecourse registering with the vertical passages in the courses above andbelow, whereby the horizontal gutters drain into and through saidvertical passages.

.2. The combination claimed in claim 1, said blocks each having alongitudinal passage extending lengthwise *therethrough from end toendand intersecting said vertical passages, said longitudinal passage beingcircular in cross-section-and of a diameter substantially equal to thewidth of said tongues and grooves.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2, and 'a substantially tubularmetallic re-inforcing Screen in each of said b'locks coaxial with andsurrounding said longitudinal passage.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Summerlott Aug. 1, Stevens July 5, Sheldon et al.Feb. 7, Waddell Oct. 2, Wilson Apr. 25, Kelly et a1. June 5, Knap'enJune 12, Trost July 7, Cooley et al. ...Q Apr. 5, Easte'rday, Sr. May29, Stamm July 22, Smith Oct. 25, Hultquist Jan. 25, Huntington May 10,Streat May 24, Wood et ah Jan. 26, Brewer Sept. 14,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of Great Britain 'of Great Britain ofGreat Britain of France Feb. 9, Switzerland of

